Public consultations are vital for democratic governance and active citizen participation in decision-making, as they provide an opportunity for citizens to express their opinions, concerns, and proposals on issues that affect them. Moreover, the interaction between citizens and policymakers helps in creating more comprehensive, fair, and acceptable decisions.

In Cyprus, public consultations are not an integral part of the legislative process, and when they do occur, they are often hasty, brief, and lacking in substance. However, the operation of the e-consultation platform can change this reality and create new opportunities for a more participatory democracy.

In 2009, a guide for public consultations was approved by the Council of Ministers, which required ministries to document all the views of stakeholders in a written text attached to the standardized Impact Assessment Questionnaire. However, this guide did not receive widespread use, and many times public consultation was limited to merely checking a few boxes.

In mid-2022, a broader effort was made to promote the discussion on improving the process of public consultations.

Specifically, on April 13, 2022, the Institutions Committee initiated a discussion on the need to adopt an institutionalized process of public consultation as an effective means of governance, participatory democracy, and transparency based on best practices from other EU member states.

On April 15, 2022, the Commissioner's Office of the Citizen, in collaboration with the House of Representatives, the non-profit, non-governmental organization Oxygono, and the international research and development center Center for Social Innovation - CSI, organized Idea Labs on improving Public Consultations.

On November 30, 2022, the Legal Affairs Committee examined a relevant bill titled "The Public Consultation Process Law of 2022" aiming to institutionalize the process of public consultation regarding policy design, including draft laws, regulations, strategies, and programs, with the goal of ensuring the effectiveness of public dialogue and the participation of all stakeholders, organized groups, or individuals in the process.

During this session, Ms. Georgia Christofidou, on behalf of the General Directorate of Development at the Ministry of Finance, stated that a platform (e-consultation) has already been prepared, where all public consultations organized by all government services will be posted. She noted that all public consultations will be consolidated, and there will also be the option to receive notifications for updates on ongoing public consultations.

On June 7, 2023, the Legal Affairs Committee reviewed the above-mentioned legislative proposal. During the session, the e-consultation platform was presented to the Members of Parliament.

As mentioned, the platform incorporates recommendations based on the revised public consultation guide prepared by former Citizen Commissioner Panagiotis Sentonas, and if all goes well, it will be available for use in 2 months.

During the discussion within the Committee, the representative of the non-governmental, non-profit organization Oxygono, George Isaias, emphasized that the legislative regulation of the public consultation process should proceed promptly. The existing legislative proposal should include explicit references to the use of the e-consultation platform, and the possibility of introducing articles providing for the establishment of a Commissioner for Public Consultations should be examined. The duties of this Commissioner could be carried out either by the Legislation Commissioner or the Citizen Commissioner, or any other competent body, with the aim of supervising legislation and imposing administrative fines.

At this stage, we are awaiting the publication of the revised public consultation guide, the official launch of the platform, and the reconsideration of the relevant legislative proposal.

Public consultations promote citizen participation, enhance trust in governance, and facilitate more sustainable and acceptable decisions for the public good. They are an important means of achieving democratic principles and strengthening collaboration between citizens and policymakers. Properly institutionalized public consultation processes in Cyprus have the potential to change the political culture of the legislative process, contributing catalytically to the development of more democratic, inclusive, and evidence-based decisions.